Hiya Folks,
(Mr Moderator, please move my post to the most appropriate Section)
I have always toyed with the idea of owning one of these lovely vehicles. Recently I have found one under cover in a collection in the UAE.
I have given the vehicle a good look and I have attached photos. This vehicle does not have any history with it, but it seems to have been imported from either the USA or Europe some years ago.
Whilst I am a Porsche Enthusiast that spends lots of time on the track, I have never delved into the 356 replica's so I am not well acquainted with the variations from one manufacturer to another.
I would really appreciate any of the serious enthusiasts appraisal of what you see and if you are able to assist me in working out who built this vehicle.
Judging by the initial inspection, I think that this vehicle may be an older variant of the replica as it has drums all around and has a very short serial number - 3440802. There seem to be no manufacturer decals or plates that I could find anywhere on the vehicle.
The paintwork is original and is an offwhite with some blemishes where the engine hood has chaffed on the body when opened. The trim on the sides fits perfectly in the doors. The tub underneath is barely showing any signs of corrosion and seems well protected from rust.
The build quality is solid and the only rough spots are the finishes underneath inside the wheel wells. I found the driver door to have an internal crack along the seam - something that should not be a problem to repair.
The vehicle seems to have a 1600cc engine. Whilst it certainly needs some proper cleaning, it runs smoothly. There seems to be a minor oil leak on the seal at crank but there was no residue on the ground. I could not locate the engine numbers at this stage.
The binnacle is simple with original VDO guages,all except the engine temp and odometer do not work. It is marked in km/h and there is only 16700km on the clock (although I think that it may have done more than this). The gearshift is the wierdest I have found.
The interior trim is in fair condition with no significant issues. This vehicle does not have any lap belts??? The hood is pretty good and only requires some minor bits - replacement of press studs. It also has simple plastic windowlets with posts that drop into locating holes on the door
The interior is trimmed in red leather(ette) with thick pile carpeting throughout - it is not the original square weave.
The drive was flawless. We managed to get it up to 100km/h in 48Deg Heat and it tracks perfectly. Gears shift without any issues, no clutch slip and it is a smooth drive. Even the drum brakes worked well with no shudders. The engine purrs well without any real rattly tappets. The owner advised that it has only covered about 400km in three years! The rubber is 95% if not more.
I have attached a heap of photos in my profile gallery under BRAT with the timestamp of 7/30/2011 6:37:59 AM.
I would really like to see if anyone could assist me with identifying this vehicle and recommending based upon condition what one should be prepared to invest in this?
Regards
Pez
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